Marvels of their age
These amazing groundbreaking properties were the cutting edge smart homes of previous eras
WHEN you buy or rent a new house how long does it take you to make changes, redecorate or even add in a few new features to make it feel like home? For some of the houses now looked after by the National Trust, the original owners turned their homes into a labour of love, and never stopped making changes. For others, their home was a place for creativity and to develop a passion for their art.
A Victorian smart home
Cragside in Northumberland was the home of Victorian inventor and engineer Lord William Armstrong and his wife Margaret.
While Lady Armstrong had a love for natural sciences, Lord Armstrong’s passion was innovation and engineering. He filled his Victorian house of wonders with the latest gadgets and inventions – features that we take for granted today but were at the very cutting edge of technology at the time.
Designed for modern living and efficiency, it became the first house in the world to be lit by hydro-electricity and powered by hydraulics. It was Britain’s original smart home.
The vast kitchen, with its double-height ceiling and windows for natural light and ventilation, was well-equipped with labour-saving gadgets including a water-powered rotating spit, a large range for cooking, and an early dishwasher – all for maximum productivity!
To save the staff endless journeys up and down the stairs, there was also a hand-operated ‘dumbwaiter’ for hoisting items up from the scullery and pantries, as well as a luggage lift that would rise nine metres from the basement to the bedrooms above. People flocked to Cragside from all over the world, drawn by tales of the ‘modern magician’s’ palace. The Armstrong’s guests could enjoy lavish luxuries, including central heating, electric lighting, hot and cold running water and even a sunken bath and fitted sinks.
In 1884, the Prince and Princess of Wales – the future monarchs, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra – stayed at Cragside during their tour of the North, intrigued to explore this home of a Geordie genius.
Lord Armstrong also worked with other passionate creators, including Joseph Swan, a fellow North East inventor, who developed the incandescent light bulb. It was Cragside that became the first home to shine with electric light. Four of Joseph Swan’s original incandescent light bulbs can still be seen in the library today.
The house was powered by Armstrong’s very own hydro-electricity system, which harnessed the power of water from manmade lakes across his estate. A phone line in the Butler’s Pantry was connected to the wonderfully named ‘Office of the Keeper of the Electric Light’ at the Power House – the butler simply rang the office when power was needed to light up the house! Go to nationaltrust.org. uk/cragside to plan a visit to this modern magician’s palace.
One man’s labour of love
Another creative spirit was Frank Green, who owned Treasurer’s House in York from 1897 to 1930. Although many people lived in Treasurer’s House over the centuries, it was Frank Green who had the biggest impact on how it looks today.
He took a run-down collection of three different properties and ‘re-created’ Treasurer’s House as a show home for his collection of furniture and art. Green was keen to demonstrate his knowledge of history and used a mix of different styles and time periods to create something truly unique.
Proud of his house and keen to show off his creation, he was a great host and welcomed the leading actors and actresses of the day as well as royal visitors, who still have rooms named after them.
Because the house was such a labour of love, Green wanted his creative masterpiece to stay as it was. When he gave the house to the National Trust in 1930, complete with all its contents, it was under the condition that the rooms would be kept exactly as he intended. There are metal studs in some rooms today that show where the furniture should be placed, and he even vowed to return to haunt the building if any changes were made!
Visit by guided tour to hear the stories of Frank Green’s life and see his personal collection up close. Plan your visit at nationaltrust. org. uk/ treasurershouse
A leading light of maritime safety
Souter Lighthouse, in South Tyneside, was the first lighthouse in the world designed and built to be powered by electricity.
Famous for its red and white stripes, it was a technological marvel when it opened in 1871, giving 117 years of service to shipping in the North East, until it was decommissioned in 1988.
Today, visitors can still climb the 76 steps to the top of the tower and take in amazing views. On ground level, there’s the Engine Room to discover – the beating heart of the busy lighthouse.
The National Trust still sounds the foghorn regularly to this day, and if you fancied a holiday break, there are two Lighthouse Keepers’ cottages that you could stay in.
Find out more at nationaltrust. org.uk/souter-lighthouse
People flocked to Cragside from all over the world, drawn by tales of the ‘modern magician’s’ palace